HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Advice on traveling while in a flare

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 5/8/2016 12:46 PM (GMT 0)
I need to make a trip this week across the country (2 flights) and I am in a flare. I know it is going to be a rough trip, but I am determined to try. I don't take imodium type medication because I think it does more harm than good in the long run. Thinking about wearing some kind of depends like undergarment (suggestions?) in case an accident happens? Is that feasible? Any other ideas? Thanks for reading!
Posted 5/8/2016 12:57 PM (GMT 0)
when i use Imodium, i'm not thinking long term - it's just getting from point a to point b -

other than that, eating cessation is my other go to -

good luck -
Posted 5/8/2016 1:02 PM (GMT 0)
Imodium is essential for short term use, while traveling. You can skip eating or at least reduced eating to help control your output (less input results in less output) in the hours proceeding travel. Caffeine and food can stimulate the bowels, some go after eating. Keep an emergency kit with you (a gallon ziplock bag with extra tp, wet wipes, and a change of undergarments), diapers can help reduce anxiety and reduce the odds of leakage/staining of clothes, but you'll still have a bit of a mess to cleanup.
Posted 5/8/2016 4:25 PM (GMT 0)
I think imodium may be helpful, but I would test with it ahead of time so you know when and how many to take. Wearing something under your clothes is of course smart and bringing a "kit" with items that would help you in the situation of a accident is extremely helpful (as iPoop said). The ziplock is essential, you can lock anything in there to stop odor from leaking. You're much braver than I am. I never felt comfortable traveling with a flare up. I also couldn't enjoy myself with the symptoms
Posted 5/8/2016 4:46 PM (GMT 0)
When I must go out I do underpants
Depends
Control top underpants on top of depends

Bring wipes, more underwear and depends as well as tissues and bags.

I would avoid eating any fiber and minimizing food as much as possible.

I agree about avoiding the Imodium if possible.
When you book your flight make sure you are all the way in front (like by the bulkhead) to get access to the restroom. Let the flight attendants know you have a medical condition and you will need access to the restroom frequently.
You can even mark this off when you book that you will need accomadations
Posted 5/8/2016 5:00 PM (GMT 0)
Very grateful for all the good advice. I have to decide by Tuesday whether I am well enough to travel on Wednesday. I haven't been able to take my wife on vacation in years. I know I am being slightly irrational to even consider doing this, but UC has taken so much from me and again it rears its ugly head at just the wrong time.
Posted 8/12/2018 7:24 AM (GMT 0)
about to do it on Tuesday too. Freaking out a bit... A week in Portugal and a mildish flare... I don't think I'll get to try much Portuguese food LOL.
I'm lucky the diarrhea bout seems to be over... Now it's the thin poo phase... Fun fun fun. From being healthy to thinking about traveling with diapers on...in 4 months' time... Speechless 😁🤐
Posted 8/12/2018 12:13 PM (GMT 0)
I’m in a similar situation, a month in Greece and am in the middle of a mildish flare. For me, the only thing that seems to work is a panadeine forte (500mg paracetamol/30 mg codeine) tablet. It seems to completely slow any transit and I also don’t have the after-effects of an Imodium. Imodium just makes me feel like I still really need to go but just can’t, whereas the panadeine actually makes me feel well for about 12 hours and just wears off more nicely. I also limit my food intake for that day which seems to help. I think the depends etc are a good idea as it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Posted 8/12/2018 12:47 PM (GMT 0)

WorriedUCer said...
I’m in a similar situation, a month in Greece and am in the middle of a mildish flare. For me, the only thing that seems to work is a panadeine forte (500mg paracetamol/30 mg codeine) tablet. It seems to completely slow any transit and I also don’t have the after-effects of an Imodium. Imodium just makes me feel like I still really need to go but just can’t, whereas the panadeine actually makes me feel well for about 12 hours and just wears off more nicely. I also limit my food intake for that day which seems to help. I think the depends etc are a good idea as it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

I'll look it up... Greek food is fairly healthy... I'm Bulgarian, similar food here...I come home only in August.. Been living in China for years... Got a flare one week after coming home, not sure if it's the diet. But I tried Salofalk for the first time... Flare started around the same time, also stomach cramps I've never had before. I went back on Sulfa, slowly getting better...
Just worried about transportation now...3 hour bus, 4 hour flight, subway, train... In a day 😑
Posted 8/12/2018 6:47 PM (GMT 0)
I just went to Nicaragua for two weeks. The food did not agree with me. I was bloated and that is never a good thing when I'm flaring. I was crying because of the pain. I took my medication with me of course but pain meds don't touch that type of pain. The second half of the vacation I ate instant ramen noodles the entire time because I stopped trusting the food. I was in the hotel and I had to have a doctor come to give me antibiotics and a saline iv. On the plane I had mostly aisle seats so that wasn't an issue. Running through the airport almost pooping myself and dealing with fever was difficult.
Posted 8/13/2018 12:08 AM (GMT 0)
Hi there. I was in my first flare when I traveled in Bali for 2 weeks from Australia (I was undiagnosed). My symptoms were worse in the morning, so I just stuck close to toilets/the hotel for that period. I was careful with the food I tried, too, and steered clear of alcohol. Apart from that, it was just like it was at home- annoying, but manageable. I only have mild colitis though, and my flare wasn't completely debilitating. I still had a great time. Good luck!
Posted 8/13/2018 2:14 PM (GMT 0)
Back when I had my colon (I've now had my j-pouch for almost two years), if I had to travel while flaring, I would:

- Eat very little the day before
- Plan every stage meticulously: check whether there would be any stages of the journey where I couldn't get quick toilet access if necessary (while waiting for planes to take off and land, while being shuttled between airport terminals, on public transport, standing in queues at passport control etc), when flying or on a train, I'd book a seat as close to the toilets as possible. While travelling, when I was approaching a part of the journey with no (or difficult) bathroom access, I would get to the last available bathroom to empty whatever could be emptied.
- Wear Depends (which I never found comfortable on a long flight)
- Eat very little while travelling.

Travelling in a flare is not fun. Looking back on my last flare pre-surgery (which lasted for two years), I'm amazed that I put myself through all of this. The journeys were stressful, I was always hungry and had a headache...

I travel internationally a lot with my work - something I always enjoyed pre-colitis, and now something I enjoy again thanks to the colectomy! I hope Boris' journey goes/went well.
Posted 8/13/2018 4:11 PM (GMT 0)

Albannach said...
Back when I had my colon (I've now had my j-pouch for almost two years), if I had to travel while flaring, I would:

- Eat very little the day before
- Plan every stage meticulously: check whether there would be any stages of the journey where I couldn't get quick toilet access if necessary (while waiting for planes to take off and land, while being shuttled between airport terminals, on public transport, standing in queues at passport control etc), when flying or on a train, I'd book a seat as close to the toilets as possible. While travelling, when I was approaching a part of the journey with no (or difficult) bathroom access, I would get to the last available bathroom to empty whatever could be emptied.
- Wear Depends (which I never found comfortable on a long flight)
- Eat very little while travelling.

Travelling in a flare is not fun. Looking back on my last flare pre-surgery (which lasted for two years), I'm amazed that I put myself through all of this. The journeys were stressful, I was always hungry and had a headache...

I travel internationally a lot with my work - something I always enjoyed pre-colitis, and now something I enjoy again thanks to the colectomy! I hope Boris' journey goes/went well.

The original post is from 2016...I kinda resurrected it 😇. Let's see is he's still around.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply